Ripley 8
)}} |death= |class= |rank= |gender=Female |height= |weapons=Lacrima 99 Shockrifle Draco Double Burner |equipment= |vehicles= |hair=Brown |eyes=Brown |era=2370s |actor=Sigourney Weaver Nicole Fellows (young Ripley 8) |status=Alive |notable=* -like traits *Host to the Cloned Queen. *Survived USM Auriga Xenomorph infestation. '|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox|date=1997}} |affiliation= }}Ripley 8, also known as Number 8, was the eighth and first fully successful clone of Ellen Ripley created by the United Systems Military aboard the . Although she was essentially no more than a by-product of the top-secret USM project to resurrect the Xenomorph XX121 species, the scientist in charge of the program, Dr. Mason Wren, ultimately decided to keep her alive for study. Ripley 8 subsequently became involved in the Xenomorph outbreak and infestation aboard the Auriga. While outwardly human, cross-contamination of DNA between Ripley 8 and the Xenomorph inside her endowed Ripley 8 with several Xenomorph attributes; essentially, she was neither human nor alien, but something in between. She was one of four survivors of the Auriga incident, along with John Vriess, Johner and the Auton Annalee Call. Origins Following the destruction of the original Xenomorph Hive and the derelict on Acheron (LV-426), and the death of the Runner on Fiorina "Fury" 161, Ellen Ripley sacrificed herself to destroy the last known Xenomorph specimen in existence — the embryonic Queen developing inside her. With the destruction of that embryo, all hope for developing the Xenomorphs as biological weapons seemed lost. However, blood samples taken by Jonathan Clemens when Ripley arrived on Fiorina 161 survived and were recovered at some point following the incident, most likely by Michael Weyland and his team of Weyland-Yutani personnel. Owing to the Xenomorph's ability to share DNA with its host, this sample of Ripley's genetic material also contained the DNA of the Xenomorph embryo she had been carrying at the time the samples were taken. Over the course of the next two centuries, the blood sample fell into the possession of the United Systems Military following Weyland-Yutani's collapse. The USM's science division also made considerable breakthroughs in cloning technology (which, despite profound technological advancements in other fields by the 2300s, had not been heavily researched due to cloning being deemed illegal). Eventually the USM began trying to create a clone of Ripley using the blood samples and, hopefully, gain access to the Xenomorph Queen inside her. The science team, led by Dr. Wren, quickly discovered that it was incredibly difficult to separate the two species' DNA in the blood samples during the cloning process, owing the the Xenomorph's ability to incorporate elements of its host's DNA at the embryonic stage and thereby alter its own phenotype. The research team had originally hoped to simply clone the Xenomorph Queen back to life from the samples, but this quickly proved impossible, and attempts at cloning Ripley and the Queen together resulted in genetic crossing, leading to horrifically deformed creatures that were essentially fusions of Ripley and the Xenomorph, combined at a genetic level. However, after seven failures and repeated refinements of the procedure, the USM scientists created an eighth, successful clone, an apparently perfect recreation of Ellen Ripley and the infant Queen gestating inside her. The project had taken 10 years to reach fruition, but the scientists finally achieved their goal and recovered the infant Chestburster before it could emerge. Biography Early life )}} While Ripley 8 had initially represented no more than a means to acquire the Xenomorph Queen, Dr. Wren ultimately elected to preserve her for study, despite the complaints of the project's overseer, General Perez. Ripley 8 was subjected to numerous tests that probed both her physical and mental state, and it quickly became apparent that she was not in fact human, and that residual Xenomorph DNA in her system meant she was in fact a hybrid. Contrary to the expectations of the USM scientific team, she possessed memories and intellect inherited from Ellen Ripley, although she did not fully comprehend this knowledge. These memories were inherited in a similar fashion to the Xenomorph's ability to transfer memories down through the generations genetically. All through her development, Ripley 8 was kept ignorant of her origins and purpose, yet she was almost immediately able to sense that the Queen had been extracted from her and was breeding aboard the Auriga, another side-effect of the Xenomorph DNA in her body. Learning the truth )}} When the Cloned Xenomorphs escaped from their containment cells aboard the Auriga, Ripley 8 joined up with the survivors from the Betty in an attempt to escape the ship. Along the way, Ripley 8 discovered the failed clones that had come before her, including Ripley 7, who was still alive and begged to be euthanized. Ripley 8 complied, before incinerating the entire laboratory in a rage. As the survivors neared the Betty, Ripley 8 was captured by the Xenomorphs and taken to the Queen by the Lead Alien, where she witnessed the birth of the Newborn, a result of the imperfect cloning processes that had given her her own abnormal traits. The Newborn apparently viewed Ripley 8 as it's mother, although Ripley 8 fled from the creature at the first opportunity and made it to the Betty. The Newborn followed and also made it aboard the ship as it departed, forcing Ripley 8 to finally confront it in the vessel's cargo hold. Using the creature's apparent reverence for her, she lured the Newborn into a false sense of security before burning a hole in a viewing port in the ship's hull with her blood, sucking the Newborn piecemeal out into space. Return to Earth Special Edition)}} The Betty ultimately landed on Earth, finally returning Ripley, at least in the form of her clone, to the planet she had been trying to reach for more than 200 years. However, the planet was now an arid wasteland. As Ripley and the other survivors looked down on a devastated Paris, they considered their future and whether the USM would pursue them in the aftermath of the Auriga's destruction. Personality and Traits )}}While Ripley 8 was a clone of Ellen Ripley, her personality was markedly different. Unlike the original Ripley, she was sarcastic, dry, cold and indifferent. Most notably, Ripley 8 was almost completely unfazed by the situations that she found herself in. Whether she be in USM captivity, subjected to scientific tests or faced with the horrors of a Xenomorph outbreak, she showed little emotional concern or interest and maintained an emotionless, apathetic exterior. Only the revelation of the previous failed clones and the emergence of the Newborn seemed to elicit any real response from her — she was horrified and distressed by the former, while she showed genuine fear in the face of the latter. Ripley 8 also seemed to possess a far greater capacity for irony than the original Ripley, finding black humour in the often terrible events that surrounded her — the devastation wrought by the Cloned Xenomorphs in particular, devastation she had explicitly forewarned, seemed to amuse her greatly. Notably, Ripley 8's personality was split between the two species that contributed to her DNA, and she shared both human and Xenomorph sympathies. She often found herself to be in dissent regarding the two species' conflicting goals and aims, and at times even considered siding with the Xenomorphs aboard the Auriga (a desire the creatures apparently shared, they seem to revere her), although ultimately she chose to ally herself with the humans she encountered. Despite her fractured persona, elements of Ellen Ripley's character still shone through in Ripley 8. Mostly notably, she was plagued by vague memories from her previous life, particularly Ripley's prior relationship with Newt; while Ripley 8 could not remember the young girl's name or anything more than superficial details regarding their time together, the deep-seated memories of Newt and her fate clearly distressed her. ' Special Edition|medium=DVD|publisher=20th Century Fox|date=1997}} Notably, Ripley 8 also possessed some of the sympathy that was prevalent in Ellen Ripley, perhaps never more obviously than when she chose not to kill Wren for his part in the events aboard the Auriga and the creation of the failed clones that had preceded her. Hybrid characteristics Due to the unintentional crossing of genetic material during the cloning process, Ripley 8 possessed several unusual traits more often associated with the Xenomorph species. These included: * Physical appearance: Despite appearing identical to Ellen Ripley at first glance, Ripley 8 possessed several subtle physical differences, most notably metallic green-black fingernails; in the novelization, Ripley 8 tried to bite them short, but they would not yield to her teeth. Also according to script and novelization, the scientists, (Wren), notices that she had four vestigial growths, two on either side of her spine, her body's attempt to grow the Xenomorph's dorsal horns; these vestigial dorsal horns were surgically removed by Wren while she was still growing, (Gediman notes that they did not compromise her development.) The scars where they were, were also shown in the film's storyboard. * Physical prowess: Ripley 8 was capable of jumping long distances, and of sprinting and/or otherwise physically exerting herself for extended periods of time with little sign of tiring. She was capable of holding her breath for far longer than any normal human. She also had superior physical durability, and an ability to completely ignore physical pain. At one point, she was shown taking a fully charged electrical burst from a Lacrima 99 Shockrifle, a charge powerful enough to take down a full grown rhino, at point plank range to her head, yet the blast merely stunned her. She was later shown taking a set of weights to the face, courtesy of Christie, in the Auriga mess hall. Despite getting a bleeding nose from the blow, Ripley 8 was otherwise unaffected. In the novelization, an unprepared Ripley 8 takes a blow to the head with a pipe courtesy of Larry Purvis when they first meet; Ripley 8 is unfazed, "as if a major head blow like that was just something you shook off". * Superior strength: Ripley 8 demonstrated superior levels of strength when compared to other humans, able to best men larger than her in unarmed combat, rend open hardened steel plate with her bare hands and even tear off a live Facehugger after it attached to her face, a feat not even Yautja are capable of. * Rapid cell regeneration: Another ability bestowed upon Ripley 8 by her Xenomorph genes was her ability to rapidly heal from injuries. Most notably, the scarring from her surgery to remove the Queen Chestburster healed almost completely, (in the film, it was a matter of three days, whilst in the script and the novelization, it was just a day). In one version of the script, in the mess hall fight scene between Ripley 8, Johner and Christie, Ripley 8 loses a tooth when Christie strikes her — and later, before entering the flooded galley, Ripley 8 reveals that it has regrown. In the novelization, she sheds her skin, like the Aliens, after waking up in her cell, after the surgery to extract the embryonic Queen, the wet and tender skin giving way to a layer of stronger, drier skin. * Acidic blood: Perhaps the most obvious similarity between Ripley 8 and the Xenomorph was the former's acidic blood. While the blood in Ripley 8 was exponentially less potent that of Xenomorphs, it was still capable of corroding metal, glass, plastics and other materials over time. It is unknown what effect the Xenomorphs' blood would have on Ripley 8 if her skin had ever been exposed. * Superior senses: Ripley 8 has demonstrated superior senses, such as touch and smell; she was able to feel that the USM Auriga was in motion dispite the fact that the ship had stealth-run, and she was able to smell the embryonic Xenomorph gestating within Larry Purvis. * Psyche: Ripley 8 displayed violent and apathetic behavior beyond what would normally be expected from a human; the two combined made her something of a dangerous predator. Her general outlook and mindset was vicious and bleak, and even her body language hinted at the Xenomorph DNA she possessed, as many of her movements were feral and almost cat-like. * Alien empathy: Due to her half-Xenomorph genetics, Ripley 8 was able to sense the presence of other Xenomorphs in the immediate vicinity, as well as comprehend their motives and emotions. Like all Xenomorphs, she possessed a particularly strong mental bond with the Queen. In the novelization, it is described that through this very link, Ripley was forced to experience the Queen's labour pains along with her, as the Queen didn't really understand what was happening to it and wanted her mother to coach her through it. She was also forced to experienced the Newborn's death along with it. Also in the novelization, Ripley refers to the Xenomorphs with either the pronouns 'it' or 'them', in reference to their hive mind. * Intelligence and memory: Ripley 8 was endowed with superior intellect and mental skills when compared to the original Ripley — from "birth", Ripley 8 was able to comprehend foreign languages that Ellen Ripley had never been able to speak, including Arabic and Japanese. She also possessed memories from Ellen Ripley's life, inherited genetically, similarly to how Xenomorphs pass down knowledge across subsequent generations through their DNA. Equipment Though Ripley 8 seemed to rely primarily on her abilities, she was equally capable of utilizing human technology to suit her needs; aboard the Auriga, she used a Lacrima 99 Shockrifle to kill a Xenomorph Drone and an Draco Double Burner to burn down the lab housing the failed clones. Trivia *According to Sigourney Weaver, the idea of including a ninth Ripley clone in the film was discussed at one point. "Ripley 9" would be, essentially, an evil version of Ripley 8. The concept was ultimately not pursued. *When Joss Whedon originally wrote the film's script, he wasn't sure how far he could push the differences between Ellen Ripley and her clone, but when he showed Weaver what he was planning to do with the character, she encouraged him to push it further. *Costume designer Bob Ringwood originally intended to design a leather costume for Ripley 8 that evoked the look of the Xenomorphs, but Weaver did not like the idea. Ringwood, pleased with the costume he had designed, refashioned the outfit and instead gave it to Hillard, played by Kim Flowers. When Weaver subsequently saw Flowers wearing the costume on set, she changed her mind and demanded Ripley 8 should wear it. As Flowers is of completely different build to Weaver, Ringwood had just 12 hours to manufacture completely new copies in Weaver's size. * Technically speaking, by taking into account the real Ellen Ripley's age, the 57 years she spent in extended hypersleep and the 200 years she was dead, Ripley 8 could be considered to be almost 300 years old. * In the non-canon novel, ''Aliens: Original Sin, following the events of the film, Ripley 8 has become the new captain of the Betty, which she considers to be her "nest". *As revealed in the DVD bonus features, no CGI was used for the scene at the basketball court in which Ripley 8 shows off her heightened agility by making a shot from halfcourt, one-handed, backwards and without even looking at the hoop. Weaver had been coached previously but had managed the shot (at a shorter distance) at best 1 out of every 6 tries. When it came to filming, she simply filmed take after take until she managed to finally make a lucky shot. Appearances * / / *''Aliens: Original Sin'' *''Aliens versus Predator versus The Terminator'' Gallery Ripley clone8.jpg|Production still of Ripley 8 Ripley ohcrap.jpg|Ripley just before encountering the Newborn File:Ripley8CallKnife.jpg|Ripley takes a knife Ripley 8-alien-resurrectionlight.jpg|Ripley 8 as she appears in the comics. Ripley 8-alien-resurrection-gift for call.jpg|Ripley handing Call a Xenomorph's inner jaw. Ripley 8-alien-resurrection7.jpg|Ripley 8 discovers the failed Ellen Ripley clones. Call-alien-resurrection-comes for ripley 8.jpg|Call about to cut the Chestbuster out of Ripley. Ripley 8-alien-resurrection-destroys ripleys1-7.jpg|Ripley 8 burns the failed Ripley clones. Ripley 8-alien-resurrection.jpg -newt-aliens-newts tale hicks.jpg|Ripley 8 armed with a Shockrifle. AlienResurrectionGAME 2.jpg|Ripley 8 as she appears in the Alien Resurrection video game. Ripley8andcall.jpg References Category:Hybrids Category:Pilots Category:Notable survivors of xenomorph attacks Category:Xenomorph (Alien) hybrids Category:Human hybrids Category:Clones Category:Notable survivors Category:Yautja/Xenomorph killers Category:Xenomorph hosts Category:Alien Resurrection characters Category:Articles Needing Cleanup